Tuesday, 31 March 2009

Day 31

Mudra Practice

A mudra is formed by holding the hands in a particular formation or posture. Buddha statues traditionally depict the Buddha holding one of these gestures. For common examples, see this article.

Some mudras, like the dhyani mudra, are used during meditation practice (especially by those who practice zazen). Others may be held during chanting or other rituals. According to the Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen, mudras "help to actualize certain inner states. This particular mudra featured in Sabrina Mesko's book Healing Mudras: Yoga for Your Hands is called the Mudra for Tranquilizing the Mind. According to the text, it was given by Buddha to his disciples to please and tranquilize their minds. It short-circuits owrried, obsessive energy and replaces it with a calming, helpful vibration.

Working with mudras in addition to your regular sitting practice can help to focus and calm the mind and emotions. This YouTube resource provides many examples of mudra yoga:

Comments

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mudras are fascinating. i used to shun such wishy-washy notions, but that was before i gave the mudras a try.

i have learned a few mudras, both in my buddhist practice (for the eight offerings, for meditation, for certain deity rituals and for empowerments) and in the tibetan yoga i do with a teacher here (for work with the energies of the chakras, not specifically buddhist). they are beautiful to look at, in addition to being beneficial in their various ways.

the dhyani mudra is used by tibetan meditators also. i didn't know the mudra for tranquilizing the mind. thank you very much for posting about it, chalip, as well as for putting up the video.